Instrument panel



T. C. DlNGMAN March 8, 1927.

INSTRUMENT PANEL Filed May 2'7 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 77/0/ 745 ,5. mva/w/v A ORNEY March 9 -T. c. DiNGMAN INSTRUMENT PANEL Filed May 27 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 1927' T. c. DINGMAN INSTRUMENT PANEL Filed May 27. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 videia ,panel--1 )ossessing the above advan Patented Mar. 8, 1927. ff 7 1 UNITED; sirn rssz PATENT; oieeiic E TI-I O1VEAS..C. DINGMANL, 9F- CLEVELAND, .DHIO, ,ASSIGNOR \TO' THE .VVHITE MOTOBCOM- PANY,-OE CLEYELANLD OHIO; A ,CORPORATION; OF: OHIO.

INSTRUMENT PANEL.

Application-filed May 27y1926w' Serial N0. 112,047.

My innentionlrelatestoinstrumentupzmels dle15; and a dash light -16, -all of-which are andimore particularly to a panel of a typeset the conventional: type and 'suitably at adapted tol support the? variousinstruments tached to the panel. indieatinglthe operation of the motor in an" In the present case the" instrument panel a t otiv vehiclemis supportedon brackets 17; formed with* An objectot my:.invention is .to' provide-a flanges 18 to facilitate the mounting of thepaneluwherei-nthe' faces-of:the;instruments -panel'andafforda suitable base for secur arerartificially illuminated in an: improved ingthe braclzets to the dash orbody of the manner, vehicle.

Anothen object of any invention is to pro- The portion ot' the panel that-supports videra panel-sfor. supporting. indicatinginthe instruments :eom-prises'a plate lS), flare-fer struments and toefiect the protection otthe ably'constructed of inetal and formed with instrumentsIfromsuch injury as-Jmay bet in-n apertures 20,"to accommodate'the mountingfliotedi by a blow fromnnextraneous object. ot-the :various instruments; T li'erear-face Another object of my lIlVElltlOIlwlS to-diof the plate is provided with- 'bOSSGSt01'- l6gS** rectitherirays ofilight from. an incandescent/'7 21,- having studs 22,'-'screwthreaded therein lamphoused within: the panel. to the faces upon which nuts 24', are threaded tor se of-the-instruments in-an improved-way; curing the plate to thebraoke-ts lr'f The- Another object of myl-invention to. pro-'1' upper portion-0f the plated-9, is formed: with a semi-circular depression 25, obliquely dis-=-7 posed with relation-to the majoi portion of the plate and inclined -rearwar-dly theretrmnn lVithin this portion. of the -platethere-are openings 26 and 27, provided prcterably itora mounting gauges whosefunction' is twin-2 w dicate the operation r, ot the? motor nunits; Above-these openings there: is a :verticallyl :disposed extension 29, ot'r-th-ei:depressed'sur-I face 25, and midway of the width of this extension-an apertures is providedwfor 55%; mounting the dash light. 16;" The extensione QQQllS angularly. disposed to; the: surfaCe Qmu.

tagesgwherein a plurality lot instruments may be installed in the panel as a unit.- each being similarly illuminated and protected.

Other-objects of my inventionandlthe-in=z 5 vention itself will be readily apparenttfrom the'ctollowing description of an embodiment of-myz innention, :and in::-which description reference '1 will the had; to: the accompanying drawings, illustrating said embodiment: tor the-purpose: o texplaining; my invention.

Referringzto thedrawingsca Figure 1, .isa front; elevation of an i-n-u s-t-rument board' ot an automobile with: my improvedconstruction embodiecbthreinm and parallel with'the plane ofthemajor :POF-r.

tion of the plate 19; as shown. in,;Figur.e;--Q.-.:

By; thus forming; the -.sev.eral portionsnot sthen instrument supporting: plate it will l'be' .seen: 1: that the positionaof-theincandescent lamp 1 Figure-:2 is a view showingaa sectionupon a -vertical;=plane at right, angles to the instrument board, and -the positiorroi which is indicated byv the line 22, in 'Figiu-e '1.

Figure 3-is a rear-elevationiot-the panel.

Figure: 4 is a detail view in perspective of the inst-r11men-tvpanelz- Figure 5 is a View in perspective of the casing for-the structure illustrated in Figure 4.

For the purpose of illustrating the assooiation of the various indicating and controlling instruments with the improved panel embodying my invention, I have shown in Figures 1 and 2, a number of gauges and instruments of the conventional type mounted in the usual manner on the instrument panel 10. The gauges herein shown include a speedometer 11, an oil gauge 12, and an ammeter 13. I have also shown ignition and light switches 14v a choke han- 31; when mounted in the-conventional:recep acle; will Ielleetuate the; most -;eflie.:ient ---illi1- i mina-tion of the;instruments: and sit willl also-1H5 be seenthat: ;by virtue of; the de 'n'essed' sun: face 25, the dials of theindicatingninstnu umerits-orgauges will bensateguarded from injury by a blow from some extraneous force.

The plate 19, is encased in a housing 32, which comprises side walls 33, encompassing the periphery of the plate 19, and inwardly disposed beaded flanges 34, integral with the bottom and side walls of the housally disposed flanges 38, integrally formed with the side walls of the housing 32. Adjacent the sides of the housing and intermediate the flanges 38, and brackets 17, there is a panel 39, preferably constructed of wood'which is provided chiefly for the purpose of concealing the body frame and brackets beneath the cowl.

The upper wall of the housing embraces the extension 29, and is formed with a depending flange 40, extending below the dash light 16', and terminating with a" beaded edge 4:1,,parallel to the lower horizontal edge of the housing. The central portion of the flange 40, is arciform in a lateral plane to permit the assembly or-removal of the incandescent lamp 81, and the contiguous portions of this wall are rearwardly arcuated and merge with the flanges 34, at the corners of the housing.

The foregoing method of associatingthe housing with the plate '19, not only renders the appearance of the instrument panel more aesthetic but affords the operator of the vehicle protection from the direct rays of the dash lamp. Furthermore the rays of light from the incandescent lamp 31, will be reflected upon the dials of the instruments, thus intensifying the illumination.

Although the foregoing description is necessarily of a detailed character, in order that the invention -may be completely set forth, it is to be understood that the specific terminology is not intended to be restrictive or confining, and that various rearrangements of parts and modifications of structural detail may be resorted to without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as herein claimed.

I claim 1. In an instrument panel of the class described, an instrument supporting member comprising an apertured plate, the surface of one portion of which is depressed and inclined to the plane of the face of the plate, an instrument having an indicating face supported within said depressed surface, an electric lamp in justa-p osition with said instrument and a housing encasing the sides of said plate and freely telescopable there over, of one of the walls of the housing having a forwardly disposed extension encasing the said electric lamp.

2. In an instrument panel ofthe class described, an instrument supporting member comprising a plate apertured to receive indicating instruments, brackets for supporting the plate and means for securing the plate to said brackets and spacing it therefrom, said plate having a depressed surface in one portion obliquely disposed and rearwardly inclined to the face of the plate, an instrument having an indicating face supported within the said depressed surface, an electric lamp in juxtaposition with said instrument, a housing encasing the 'sides of said plate and a forwardly disposed extension of one of the walls of the housing encasing the said electric lamp. 7 r 3. In an instrument panel of the class de scribed, an instrument supporting member comprising an apertured plate, the surface of one portion of which is depressed and inclined to the plane of the face of the plate, an instrument having an indicating face supported within the said depressed surface, an electric lamp above said instrument and a housing for the plate and instrument encom passing the sides of the plate and the instrument and extending forwardly beyond the marginal edges ofthe plate forward face, said housing being formed with a flange depending from a forwardly disposed extension of its upper wall to shield the said electric lamp from being struck by extraneous objects. i

4. In an instrument panel of the class described, an instrument supporting member comprising an apertured plate, the surface of one portion of which is depressed and inclined to the plane of the face of the plate, an extension of said depressed surface being angularly disposed thereto, an instrument having an indicating face supported by the said depressed surface, an electric lamp within said extension above laterally of the instrument, and a housing having side walls telescoped over the plate with its side walls adjacent the marginal edges -thereof, said housing having a flange portion depending from a forwardly disposed portion of its upper sidewall adapted to shield-the lamp from contact with extraneous objects.

In testimony whereof I hereunto atlix my signature this 20th day of May, 1926.

THOMAS C. DINGMAN. 

